Violin-mute operato-r



(No Model.) W BINGHAM.

VIOLIN MUTE OPERATOR.

No. 581,055. Patented Apr. 20, 1897.

Witnesses: Inventor:-

UNITED STATES arnnr rricn.

WILLIAM BINGIIAM, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VlOLlN-MUTE @PERATUR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,05 5, dated April 20, 1897.

Application filed January 2, 1896. $eria1N0. 574,056. (No modelfi .To all 1072,0112 it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM BINGHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Violin-Mute Operators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in violin-mute-operating devices, and particularly to improvements in Patent No. 538,405, dated April 30,1895, and granted to me,wherein the mute is supported upon two arms which are pivoted to a bracket removably secured to the tailpiece of the violin, the said arms being connected rearwardly and provided with a latch and spring to be operated by the chin and adapted to either press the mute upon the bridge to muffle the sound of the instru ment or release it therefrom at any moment to permit the full volume of sound of the violin, both the application and the withdrawal to be performed positively by the operators chin.

Mypresent invention consists in certain details of construction greatly simplifying the attachment, the adjustment, the spring connection, and the latch device operated by the chin, as hereinafter more fully described and illustrated, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a violin, showing my improved mute-operator attached. thereto with the mute in position upon the bridge; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof with the mute in its raised or inactive position; Fig. 3, a plan view of my improved mute-operator and the tailpiece of a violin detached and in the position shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an end view of the chin and tail piece and my improved latch connecting said pieces; Fig. 5, a similar view of the parts shown in Fig. 4 with the latch disconnected from the tailpiece; Fig. 6, a vertical section through the bracket and tailpiece in line a; of Fig. 3; and Fig. 7, a perspective view of the latch, looking from the front, in detail.

The violin A supports the tailpiece B,bridge O, and strings D in the usual way. The bracket E bridges the tailpiece l3 and has at each end thereof depending lugs c and inwardly-projecting pins 0, which latter project beneath the tailpiece 13 at each side thereof and are held to press securely beneath the said tailpiece by means of a clamping-screw e which passes vertically through a threaded hole in the middle of the bracket E and impinges upon the top of the tailpiece.

Two lever-rods F F, one arranged upon each side of the tailpiece, are pivoted at 1, about midway of their length, to the ends of the depending bracket-lugs c, and are supported thereby in such manner that the forwardlyprojeeting ends of said rods will be bowed down under the forward and outer ends of the tailpiece and pass up between the strings l) of the instrument and through holes g in the ends of the cross-bar g of the mute G, and are adj ustably secured thereon by set-screws 9 which lit into threaded holes in said mute cross-bar and press against the said rods. The mute G may thus be adjusted and held quickly and securely upon the rods F F to fit top edge of the bridge 0 and securely hold and prevent its vibration to thus muffle the sound of the instrument when the mute is held upon the bridge. This is done in the following-described manner:

The rear ends of the rods F F pass rearwardly alongside of the tailpiece l3 and are securely connected together by a chin-piece II, to which is connected the rear end of a spring-plate l, which projects forwardly in the central line of the tailpiece and rests thereon at its free end, thus normally holding the rear ends of rods F F in a raised position and the forward ends thereof, carrying the mute, depressed, with the mute resting upon and holding the upper end of the bridge to prevent its vibration and thus muffle the sound of the instrument. The pressure of the chin upon the chin-piece ll, connecting the rear ends of the rods F F, will raise the forward ends or said rods and the mute from the bridge, thus allowing the instrument to give out its full volume of sound.

The chin-piece ll is by my improved device held down and engaged with or released from engagement with the tailpiece by means of a latch K of novel construction, and pivotally connected to the said chin-piece H in the following manner: ThelatchK comprises a leverplate 711', to the middle of which is secured one end of an L-shaped bar 7.3 which passes through the chin-piece H to receive a journal bearing therein, and is formed at its other or vibrating end with a hook 713 which engages with the under edge and one side of the tailpiece when the chin-piece is depressed, and thus locks the rods F Fand mute G, carried thereby, in a raised position away from the bridge-piece, thus leaving the violin free to be played in the ordinary way. The leverplate 70 of the latch is thus pivoted to the chin-piece in such manner that by pressing the chin. upon one end of said lever the latchhook L will engage with the tailpiece, and by pressing the chin upon the other end of said lever-plate the latch-hook will be disengaged therefrom and the spring-plate I will press the mute down upon the bridge to mul'i'le the sound of the instrument.

The parts comprising my present in vention are all simple, strong, and easily operated with quickness and certainty, and are easily adjusted to lit the bridge and tailpiece of any ordinary instrument of the violin class, besides being light and inexpensive to man ufacture from suitable material or materials such as brass, aluminium, or hard rubber-- and the method of attachment is such that it will not impair the tone of any instrument. The sound of the instrument can be changed instantly or gradually at the will of the performer, and the mute and its operating devices do not rattle or impair the tone of the instrument at any time. This is mainly due to the simple construction and arrangement of parts and clamping screws herein de scribed, which admit of an accurate and secure adjustment of the mute proper, G, upon the rods F to cause the former to nicely fit over the bridge 0 at whatever point the bracket E is ailixed to the tailpiece l3, and

also to the simple and direct connection of the spring-plate I to the chin-piece II to allow the said spring-plate I to rest directly upon the top of the middle and non-vibrating end of the tailpiece instead of upon the end and under surface thereof. A single plate is thus used instead of jointed and rattling double plates, as in other devices heretofore used. Besides with the spring arranged as shown the chin will press directly upon it and thus secure a more sensitive and direct action.

I claim as myinvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A violin mute operating attachment comprising a bracket attachable to the tailpiece of the instrument, substantially parallel rods supported upon said bracket, carrying a mute at the forward ends and a chin-piece at the rear ends thereof, and a spring-plate secured at its rear end to the chin-plate and adapted to project forwardly therefrom and press upon the top of the tailpiece, substantially as described.

2. A violin mute operating attachment comprising a bracket attachable to the tailpiece of the instrument, substantially parallel mute-supportingspring-actuated rods pivoted upon said bracket and connected at their rear ends by a chin-plate, and a rocking latchlever pivoted to said chin-plate and adapted to engage therewith or be disengaged therefrom by the chin, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lVlLlQlAlti BINGHAM.

lVitnesses:

S. HENRY LEO, ROBERT BINOHAIL 

